Funds released for affordable housing in Broadbridge Heath

More than £500,000 has been released to fund more affordable housing in Broadbridge Heath by councillors.

Countryside Property’s application including 24 flats, a new nursery, retail store, flexible commercial units, a new parish office, community square and parking spaces on land south of the old Broadbridge Heath bypass was approved in July 2017.

These will be used to uplift the number of affordable units originally considered to be viable from six to 24 now being delivered by Clarion Housing Group.

The grant of £509,000 will enable ten new affordable rented units and 14 shared ownership properties to be delivered.

Tricia Youtan, the council’s cabinet member for community and wellbeing, said: “Ensuring that there are affordable homes for our residents available in our district is important to us as a council.

“As part of this commitment, we are keen to continue the longstanding work with partners to deliver appropriate schemes and we were delighted to work with Countryside Properties and Clarion Housing Group on this particular scheme where house prices are high.

“We know we must continue to work with developers and housing groups to ensure a sensible number of new affordable homes are built for local people of all ages.”

The council will have 100 per cent of the nomination rights on the initial lets and then 75 per cent of any vacancies that come after.

The news will likely be welcomed in Broadbridge Heath as the application was described as a ‘bum deal’ by the village’s district councillor before it was approved in July last year.

At the time Matthew French opposed having flats over retail units and raised concerns about the three-storey height of the building and the number of parking spaces available.

His concerns were echoed by Broadbridge Heath Parish Council as the addition of residential properties to the neighbourhood centre meant the scheme was seen as a ‘long way from what was originally proposed’.

But Countryside argued the scheme would bring the two parts of the village together.